WV Schools Still Closed

Despite a deal that addressed the salary element of concerns raised by teachers in West Virginia, a strike that some indicated would end today is still going. Teachers continue to push for a real answer on health insurance even as a bill that would raise pay by 5% moves through the legislature.

WV public schools closed despite deal that was to end strike. CNN: “All West Virginia public schools will remain closed Thursday, which was the day teachers were to return to work after what is turning into a week-long strike over pay and benefits. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice had reached a tentative pay deal with union leaders Tuesday that was designed to end the strike and send teachers back into the classroom on Thursday. The agreement provides for a 5% pay raise the first year, and is now a bill going through the state’s legislature. However, the deal didn’t include a fix to the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), which employees say requires them to pay premiums that are too high. That so far remains a major sticking point.”